Intelligent Design v. Evolution

"Evolution is a perfectly valid theory that's supported by evidence. But it's protected and given a monopoly on explanation, and that's not right." --John Calvert, a Kansas City lawyer who is a co-founder of the Intelligent Design Network.

A recent debate was sparked in Ohio earlier this year dealing with the teaching of evolution in schools, and many are against pushing Darwin's theory of natural selection. This topic has been discussed for many years. The most significant case may have occurred in 1925, when John T. Scopes was charged with violating the law in Tennessee for teaching evolution in a high school. He was eventually judged innocent. In 1999, the controversy was resurrected when the Kansas school board voted to remove most references of evolution from the standards of the state.

Evolution in schools has been a heated discussion across the globe, and parents, professors, scientists, and religious figures all have their viewpoints on what requirements should be met, and how it should be taught???

"We need to create a culture where students can discuss both the strengths and weaknesses of the dominant theory of how life began.... This is the type of thing that deserves more than just a rubber stamp from the board." --Owens Fink, a marketing professor at the University of Akron

Many other sources exclaim that one theory is not enough, so a writing team must be established -- composed of primary, secondary and college science students -- to draft an alternative proposal that can be used. However, those who back evolution, including the Ohio Academy of Science, says that "intelligent design" does not have a place in public schools. The U.S. Supreme Court barred states from requiring the teaching of creationism in public schools in 1987.

The argument is that intelligent design is a disguise for creationism, or in other words, the Biblical view that earth and most forms of life came to existence about 6,000 years ago, suddenly created by a divine being. Academy Director Lynn Elfner exclaims, "It's not science, it's creationism."

Other critics explain that evolution is backed up by specific evidence, whereas intelligent design is not. It has not gone through a review of any sort, unlike the scientific aspect of evolution. However, those who are for the intelligent design movement say that this theory offers an alternative for students.

"It's totally different then creation science. Intelligent design says nothing about religion or about the designer. All it makes is the inference." --Robert Lattimer, a scientist on Ohio's writing team and a member of the non-profit group Science Excellence for All Ohioans.

Those who support the intelligent design theory say that they accept the ideology that life has changed and transformed over millions of years, but they reject Darwin's suggestion that life happened gradually through what is known as "natural selection".